What is office automation and what benefits does it offer? Office automation describes the process where various devices are designed for the work environment and where software is used to digitally manage the data needed for accomplishing daily tasks in the office. This encompasses data storage, electronic data transfer, and the management of the digital information required to facilitate the running of a commercial enterprise. Data storage, electronic data transfer, print output, and the management of financial information constitute the key functions of office automation systems.
The answer, in broad terms, to the question “what is office automation?” is any device or software system or combination of the two that optimizes, automates, or improves commonly required work tasks and procedures. Devices such as computers, scanners, printers, multifunction devices, telephone switchboards, and production printing systems are typically employed to automate the work environment.
Local area networks, which allow office personnel to transfer data, communicate by voice, email, and print are the backbone of any modern automation system. Work functions that are typically automated include the printing and scanning of documents, word processing, digital filing, dictation, photocopying and faxing, as well as telephone and switchboard operations. The number of staff required for the office to function smoothly is often reduced dramatically with the need to employ staff, in some instances, being eliminated entirely.
Software suites exist which automate functions, such as accounting, facility management, inventory management, payroll processing, and general data and records management to a high degree. The advent of networked desktop computers enabled a far higher degree of automation than was previously possible with systems being limited to electromechanical office machines prior to this.
What is Automation Going to Look Like in the Next 5 Years?
Industry experts indicate that there will be major changes in the way individuals and organisations work during the next five years, which will require careful planning and the attention of senior managers, employees, and suppliers of workspace equipment. Currently, office automation systems are tools that enable office data to move from one system, or system device, to another without human intervention. Data is collected, analysed, and managed efficiently and the opportunities for human error are significantly reduced or eliminated entirely.
Tedious, repetitive tasks and processes in the workplace are taken on by software and computer-driven devices, saving staff from having to do them. Data available from the system also allows managers to make better business decisions by providing insights into office process metrics and improving workflow visibility.
It is clear that the future of work will be markedly different from typical jobs today. Advanced engineering systems, coupled with AI, promise improvements in safety, the simplification of routine tasks, and better productivity levels across commercial and other enterprises. There is much debate around the ethics of automating and the role it will play in day-to-day life, but it is important to understand the areas in which automation will substantially improve the workplace experience. Safety and the automation of repetitive tasks will see the most significant benefits.
What is Going to Happen to My Job Prospects?
The ever increasing rate that technology is moving at makes many people fear that they will lose their jobs, but there is nothing new about automation and technologies like robotics. Automation has been present in the workplace, handling mundane, routine tasks humans simply do not want to do for decades. Robots have worked side by side with humans on factory floors for over 50 years. The fact of the matter is that for the past 100 years, technological advancements have always resulted in rising employment and they can in the future too.